♥ Never Ending Story 2004 ♥ Note on soap magazine publication dates and content of articles/interviews regarding multiple soap stars: Many of the monthly or every other month (and sometimes quarterly) magazines back in the 1980's would be on the newsstands a long time before the date on the actual magazine. We've noticed, for instance, that DAYTIME TV magazine did an interview with Drake in late 1986 about his upcoming wedding, which was scheduled for December 1986, yet the interview didn't appear until the July 1987 issue several months later. Therefore, it might be a bit confusing to read about his "upcoming" wedding in an interview dated July 1987 when you happen to know he was married in December 1986. We've tried to date the articles to match the date on the magazine, regardless of when the events talked about took place. Hopefully it will make sense as you go along! We've also edited some of the articles/interviews to just include John's storyline, since this is a Drake/John website. We've left out comments and sections about other actors or storylines unless they're involved with John's storyline. This too should be very apparent and clear when we've done that so it makes sense and you don't have to skim through a long article to find the "John parts." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John Leaves Marlena... Exit Signs: John Leaves Marlena Roman's death has a profound impact on the Black marriage: Marlena blames her husband for it. Doc Evans is so distraught over her ex's demise that John is forced to move out of the penthouse. "Marlena blames John because he basically talked her out of talking Roman out of marrying Kate," explains Drake Hogestyn (John). "But John can't figure any of this out. It's just so far past him. He doesn't understand." John decides that the best thing would be for him to leave. "He says, 'I offered to leave before and if this is what you want, then I'll go.'" John is stunned when Marlena doesn't stop him. "He comes down the stairs and she's holding a picture of Roman, and John says, 'I'd ask if those tears are for me, but I know better.' She turns and he says, 'I was hoping when you saw me with my bags packed, you'd realize this isn't what you want...Is this what you want?'" Marlena nods and says yes. John is thunderstruck by his wife's response. "I give her a really long look cause you think a million things," he says of the scenes. "First of all, if Victoria (Hogestyn's real-life wife) was doing this, I thought, 'My God, what would I do?' That went through my head in the scene, like, 'This is really weird.'" The next day, John returns to the apartment. "He knocks on the door and says, 'Doc, it's your husband' and she runs to the door," says the actor. "It flies open and she's all smiley. I smile back at her, but she looks at me and she sees Roman in her mind. Then, she blinks and gets this defeated look, and John says, 'WOW. I thought you looked happy to see me,' and she says, 'I'm just really tired.'" Marlena tells him that she's going to the church to pray for her "husband." John is still at a loss. "He can't even respond," says Hogestyn. "Belle comes over after Marlena has left and John tells her he moved out. She loses it, and John says, 'I don't know what's going on! She's got some issues. She's obviously dealing with some real heavy stuff from this man who she shared a life with and shares children with, and she has to work through those issues before we can fix what the hell is going on in the present.'" John, of course, vows to stick with his marriage. "That's the only thing he can do," theorizes Hogestyn. "He's just gonna keep working at it." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 1/13/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Just The Blacks A Photo History Of The Romance Of DAYS OF OUR LIVES' John And Marlena "We've got something special," remarks Drake Hogestyn (John) of the chemistry he shares with co-star Deidre Hall (Marlena). "We play off each other really well and it comes across. It's kind of amazing. You try to think of something new that sparks it, but it's always in the writing. It's in the intent. We can only pick up from each other for so long if the story isn't there, but when the story is there, we can really make some good scenes." 1986: A man with no memory came to Salem, took the name John Black off of a Vietnam War plaque and befriended Marlena. He turned out to be her presumed-dead hubby, Roman. "I can reflect back and realize how strongly the audience wanted Roman back with Marlena," says Hogestyn. "I was never told that I was going to be Roman, so that was a very strong pull. The storyline was pretty much foolproof." The duo re-wed, but Marlena was presumed dead later that year. 1991: An alive Marlena returned to town, but John was involved with Isabella Toscano. "That was a big, huge moment," recalls Hogestyn. "The engagement party for Isabella. John just had that feeling that he had to get out of the house, and was drawn to the pier. There Marlena was. She was like, 'What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back at the engagement party?'" In Mexico, it was discovered that the real Roman was alive, too, and Faux Roman was John Black. 1992: Danielle Stevens, a woman from John's past, tried to convince him that he was her husband. John also thought he was Romulus, a jewel thief...John married Isabella; she gave birth to Brady, then died from pancreatic cancer...Stella Lombard kidnapped Marlena: John saved her. 1993: After two years of denying her feelings for John, Marlena slept with him atop a conference room table at the Titan building. Belle arrived nine months later. (OOPS! This is wrong. In an effort to run away from his feelings for Marlena, John boarded the Alamain jet, with his destination being to Italy where his late wife, Isabella Toscano was buried. Marlena tracked him down on the jet and their feelings of passion hit a crescendo and they made love. Belle was conceived on John's plane, not on top of the conference room table at the Titan building like this article states.) Sami switched the blood records to indicate that Roman was the father, but John was the actual dad. 1994: When the news about Belle's parentage came out, Marlena and Roman divorced, and Roman left town...John discovered he was a priest at one point in his past...Marlena was possessed by the devil. "I remember a particular scene where Kristen morphed into Marlena," says Hogestyn. "I was looking at my collar, putting it on and thinking, 'I don't feel comfortable with this.' And right before Kristen came in, I picked up an apple and (Headwriter) Jim Reilly came down and I got a note from him: 'The apple!' It was like Adam and Eve temptation, the devil..." 1995/1996: John exorcised Marlena. "I'm always a sucker for the possession story," smiles Hall. Hogestyn adds, "It was a real twist on the hero/heroine story. It was really different. He was going to save her, even though it was, in his eyes, forbidden fruit, but the love just burned through all that." In Aremid, Tony framed John for murder, and John wrote Marlena a love letter that Kristen swiped. John was saved from the gas chamber at the last minute. 1996: Stefano kidnapped Marlena to Paris: John was nearly executed trying to save her: Kristen miscarried John's baby, but kept mum. 1997: John and Marlena got word that Roman died: John married "Kristen" before she gave birth to John Junior. Eventually, Kristen's lies were exposed, and John and Marlena reunited. As they were about to marry, Kristen brought a special gift: A not-so-dead Roman, who had a terminal illness. John went to the jungle to procure a special flower that would save him. 1998: Roman tried to win Marlena back...Kristen was presumed dead...John surprised Marlena with a 1950's-themed night of romance. 1999: John and Marlena finally wed and honeymooned in Hawaii, where Gina kidnapped John and had sex with him on a boat. 2000: John confessed to fathering Hope's son, J.T. Brady returned with an attitude about his stepmom that caused marital strife for John and Marlena. 2001: John was shot at Greta's coronation, but lived...Marlena and Brady continued to battle...At a party for Hope (Kristian Alfonso), Dr. Rolf turned her back into Gina. She kissed John. Bo (Peter Reckell) walked in on them and learned that John fathered J.T. 2002: John discovered that he isn't J.T.'s father...Tony DiMera returned and set his sights on Marlena...John found out that he and Tony are brothers... (OOPS! This is wrong. Daphne DiMera was John’s biological mother, which makes John and Tony half-brothers, not brothers.) John surprised Marlena with a costume-themed vow renewal on their anniversary. 2003: The Blacks' happiness was marred by the serial killings going on in Salem. The distance grew between John and Marlena when she got closer to Roman (Josh Taylor), thanks to Sami's (Alison Sweeney) grand scheme, and was heartbroken when Roman was murdered. "There are more umbrella stories and different storylines, but the power for John and Marlena still remains the same," observes Hogestyn. "The attraction John and Marlena feel for each other, intellectually and sexually, it's the whole package and I think the audience sees that." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 1/27/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ The News DAYS Killer Revealed It's Marlena! DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans will finally see the killer's face this week - yep, it's Marlena. After failing to kill Tony via a tiger attack at the circus, Marlena strikes again in Tony's hospital room. Celeste's psychic vibes warn her that Tony remains in grave danger. "Celeste senses that the killer is near...that it's not over," warns Tanya Boyd (Celeste). She's right. Marlena sneaks into Tony's hospital room and injects a lethal drug into his IV. On the January 28 episode, Tony opens his eyes, sees Marlena, and then goes into cardiac arrest. Lexie stabilizes him, and then tells John and Hope that Tony is hanging on by a thread. Desperate for Tony to reveal the killer's identity before he dies, Lexie administers a shot of adrenaline to revive him. Although Hope and John assure Celeste that Tony is safe, Celeste insists he's going to die. "Celeste hopes there might be some kind of miracle, but she knows (there won't be)," says Boyd noting that another vision of the Salem Stalker in Tony's hospital room only confirms Celeste's fears. Later, with Marlena sitting beside him for "support," Tony attempts to name the killer. When he can't get the words out, Celeste begs him for a sign. "Celeste tries to tap into Tony's consciousness and make contact telepathically," explains Boyd. "It's like, 'You can't leave here without letting us know what is going on!' She goes to that inner voice." Tony reaches out and grabs Marlena's hand before dying. But will anyone really suspect that "Doc" is the killer? "Celeste might think that, but she doesn't want to let anybody know that she thinks that," offers Boyd. "Besides, she really doesn't know. And if she finds out and tells, she puts her life at risk. She could be next. So Celeste has work to do. Maggie's spirit told Celeste that she holds the key (to solving these murders). Until she knows what door to stick that key in, she's going to keep her mouth shut!" SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 2/3/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES Most Shocking Victim Yet! "It's Unbelievable" The News - DAYS Murder Shocker! DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans who are dying to know Marlena's next move haven't seen anything yet. Rumor has it the final victim will be either John, Bo, Hope or...Alice. "The tenth victim is going to be more shocking than the previous nine put together," guarantees Executive Producer Ken Corday. Viewers will think "it's unbelievable that (Headwriter James E. Reilly) would do this, that he would kill a star of this importance on the show." (OOPS! This is wrong. In our opinion, what he should have said was "...that he would kill a character of this importance," not "a star of this importance," since our beloved actors are the stars, not their characters.) C'mon...would DAYS really off Alice? As always, all lips are sealed at the show. "I can't address that," responds Corday. "I'm talking to Frances (Reid, who's played Alice since 1965) right now. She still has a contract to honor for another year from April, but Frances is not young. However, that's personal between Frances and me." Bo or John could also be victim number ten. Marlena bumps off anyone who is suspicious of her (Bo could be soon) and she gives John the evil eye everyday. Kristian Alfonso's (Hope) name has also been bandied about. "I'm not going to dispel that rumor," teases Corday. "When you're looking at the show, people are going to wonder: Could it be Bo? Could it be John? Or Belle? Or Shawn? Those are people who are that powerful." Shawn appears to be the next target, and indeed, last week, the good Doc tried to kill him. "For anyone who is onto her, it's bad news," warns Corday. But Shawn's suspicions may actually save him. "If Shawn comes forward with that knowledge...if he tells Belle, Bo, Hope or John...he is protected, because other people will know that he knew," points out Corday. "That's his bulletproof vest." Still, someone will die. "The tenth little Indian is (killed) in April," reveals Corday, adding that that won't necessarily be the end of the death toll in Salem. "It may be the end of this killing spree, so to speak, but is it the last murder on this show? No, definitely not. There will be more deaths or murders depending on how you look at them. They may be accidental or on purpose." Uh-oh! SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 3/9/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES Guilty! John Confronts Marlena Plus...Another Loved One Dies... Cover Story: Shadow Of A Doubt - John Suspects Marlena Is The Salem Stalker On DAYS OF OUR LIVES: The week begins with Bo questioning John about who he saw in the graveyard. John fears it could be Marlena, but decides to keep mum. "Instinctively, he feels it could be true," acknowledges Drake Hogestyn (John). "But he just looks at Bo and lies to him. Right now, he is lying to protect her and not turn the dogs loose in her direction. At that particular point (in the cemetery), he didn't exactly see her face. He saw a silhouette and her movements, but when you love someone and know them so well, you know how they move. He has suspicions that he needs to look into further before he blows the lid on it." At what cost, though? "With that comes the responsibility that if any other killings happen while he is trying to glean the necessary information, that is going to weigh pretty heavily on him," notes the actor. For John to even consider that his wife could be responsible for the deaths of their close friends and family marks a major turning point in the story. "You bet," nods Executive Producer Ken Corday. "He raised one eyebrow before; now, he has to raise both. Is he listening to his conscience or is he listening to his heart? His heart tells him it can't be true. His conscience tells him he has to be a cop." Determined to get answers, John heads to the penthouse to confront his wife. "The suspicion is already rising. There's mud on the floor and the cops found a muddy footprint at the crypt," notes Hogestyn. "There are just too many things that are falling into place right now." Marlena, meanwhile, realizes that the walls are starting to close in on her. "People are looking at her a little bit longer than they used to," points out her portrayer, Deidre Hall. At Marlena's apartment, John finds Belle. When he reveals that Doug was murdered, Belle takes off to find Shawn. Alone with Marlena, John begins questioning her. "It's getting dicey," admits Hogestyn. "From the mud on the floor to her not reacting when John says that Doug is dead to Belle saying that when she got there, her mom was fixing a cut on her finger - but she was really wiping Doug's blood off - it's suspicious. But he is looking for ways for it not to be her." Marlena isn't too thrilled that she has become a suspect in her husband's eyes and thinks about killing him, too. In the meantime, she tries to convince him that she isn't guilty. "There are wonderful scenes where Marlena explains to John why he thinks all of this is happening and she is so clever and so able to explain things in terms of psychological values that I think she thinks she can handle it," offers Hall. "They all want to believe that she's innocent and that's a big tool." So is John's devotion to her. Corday and Hogestyn stress that like the possession tale, this, too, is a love story. "Certainly, John never denies his love for her," says the exec, "even when faced with the prospect that she is the murderer. He wants to do anything possible to save her, to reunite them." Hogestyn elaborates: "I substitute my wife in this," he explains. "I was talking to (my son) Ben and said, 'Ben, if someone told you Victoria was a serial killer, what would you do?' And he laughed. I said, 'There you go, thanks.' That's it. John loves this woman desperately and if anyone were to accuse her, even if he saw some evidence pointing in her direction, he would say, 'This is impossible. You just couldn't even fabricate a story like that.' It is so far beyond his consciousness, even though the evidence is stacking up and people have thrown it in his face." By week's end, Celeste makes yet another dire prediction. This time, she says, someone dear to the Hortons will die. "Celeste ain't been wrong yet," winks Corday. "After Doug dies, it's the ticking clock until Marlena gets to her next victim. The bomb is ticking so loudly and the fuse is right there, and at some point in time John will have to face the truth." For now, though, Hogestyn says, "I play it that love is blind." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 3/16/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ The News DAYS' John To Marlena: "It's You!" John's worst fears are confirmed this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, when he remembers seeing his beloved Doc's face fleeing the scene of Doug's murder. It all hits John at the police station. "Everybody keeps asking him what he saw," sets up Drake Hogestyn (John). "John says, 'I don't have anything, I didn't see anything.' He knows he saw a figure that looked like Marlena, but he can't believe it." Convinced that John "is blocking something out, Hope calls Tek to put him under hypnosis," continues Hogestyn. "During that process, John has a flashback of Marlena running through the graveyard in between trees and tombstones. The light catches her face, and John knows it's her. He suppressed it." Stunned, John goes into convulsions. After Hope and Tek stabilize him, John finally comes out of his trance. "They ask John, 'Who is it? What's going on?'" outlines Hogestyn. "But John doesn't want to reveal anything. Even though he has connected all the dots - he can feel it in his bones and it looks like everything points to Marlena - he needs irrefutable proof before he can make an indictment." John heads to the penthouse hoping to find evidence that will exonerate Marlena. Before he can do that, however, he comes face to face with Doc. "John says, 'It's you, baby. I saw you. You killed Doug,'" previews Hogestyn. In a wild twist, "She calls the police department, hands John the phone, and tells him to go ahead and have her arrested." When John hangs up the receiver, Marlena senses his desperation to not believe the truth. Naturally, she takes advantage of the situation. "She tells John, 'You know you're right. I am that cold-blooded monster...in your mind,'" continues Hogestyn. Marlena plants the seed that this is all a product of Stefano's brainwashing, "that Stefano programmed John to believe that anything good will eventually destroy him. So Stefano is getting the last laugh from his grave by making John see Marlena's face on the murderer in the graveyard. Marlena is playing a head game with John." Does John fall for it? "As the climactic scene ends, John begs for Marlena's forgiveness for ever doubting her, and they embrace," reveals Hogestyn. "It's a very emotional moment. With a tear running down his face, John says, 'I'm so relieved it's not you. Now I can concentrate on finding the real killer and stop this witch before she strikes again.' But inside he's struggling with the fact that it is her. At least, that's the way I played it." Uh-oh. Don't let Marlena hear you say that... SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 3/23/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' John And Marlena: "Seeing Is Not Believing!" DAYS Star To Fans: "Seeing Is Not Believing" DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans who are worried about the fate of John and Marlena may be able to relax. "I've heard through the grapevine that John and Marlena will be fine," confides Drake Hogestyn (John). "Something great is coming up in May. Ken (Corday, Executive Producer) told me the other day, 'Just wait. It's going to blow everything away.'" Other than that, however, the actor is clueless as to what the story might be. "James E. Reilly (Headwriter) has said it's not a possession story, there are no brain chips, there's no Hattie, it is what it is. If that's the case, how do you exonerate a person who has taken out eight (and counting) prominent members of the Salem community in heinous ways? I don't see how you can. But knowing how Jim Reilly writes, he'll be able to come up with something that is brilliant and will twist this whole thing around. Seeing is not believing." Hogestyn believes that, ultimately, this is "a love story. John loves Marlena, and love is blind. He is looking for anything that will shine a light away from her guilt. The fact is, all the evidence is shining the light even brighter on her. If it turns out she really is the killer, it will create great conflict. That's for sure." Hogestyn adds that just like fans, he and Deidre Hall (Marlena) regularly mull over what will happen next. "I was talking to Dee this morning. We were trying to come up with scenarios that will exonerate Marlena," relates Hogestyn, admitting that Hall "is apprehensive also. But I'm taking encouragement from her. She's about to remodel her dressing room. This storyline is supposed to go on through December, and Dee's contract is up in August. She's taking that as a positive sign." Hopefully DAYS viewers can, too. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 3/30/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS Spring Preview John Gives Marlena The Heave-Ho Marlena kills Alice this week on DAYS - and then has to face off against John. The confrontation is set in motion after John receives a call from Alice telling him that Marlena is trying to kill her. "John's got a line like, 'One thing I do know in life is that Alice doesn't lie,'" previews Drake Hogestyn (John). "Her word is good enough for him." John races to the Horton house, but is stopped dead in his tracks when his car collides with Sami's. "He sees Marlena's car speed by from the direction of Alice's house, and that is the moment it's over. The bottom falls out," sighs Hogestyn. John assumes Alice is dead - and he's right - so he goes after Doc. When John arrives at the penthouse, he finds Marlena sipping tea in her robe. "It's unbelievable," states Hogestyn. "John can't even approach this person as the person he loves. It's not her. She's sick." Still, John confronts Marlena and announces he's convinced she's the serial killer. "Initially, she tries to deny it," outlines Hogestyn. That is, until John finds evidence that links her to Alice's murder. "That changes the spin of the ball. Marlena admits she did it, needs help and falls into John's arms. Of course, she uses the ruse to get John's gun and turn on him." The two end up on the terrace, where John professes his love for Marlena. "It's a great scene," touts Hogestyn. "John says, 'It doesn't matter if you kill me or not. What we have is eternal. Our love will live on forever.' John is determined to see Marlena through this. She pulled him through some hard times. She was steadfast, and John owes her his life." That doesn't seem to matter to Marlena, as a struggle ensues and the madwoman goes over the edge - literally. Sami watches in horror from below, convinced John is trying to kill her mother. Sami doesn't have time to yell for help, however, because the next thing she knows, it's...splat. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 4/6/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS John's Bombshell It's Not Marlena! A Familiar Face Returns To Rock Salem... The News - DAYS: Hattie's Shocking Return! John solves the Salem Stalker case - or so he thinks - this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, when he captures the "real" killer: Hattie! It all begins when John summons Father Jansen to the hospital. "John is working on a couple of different (theories)," sets up his portrayer, Drake Hogestyn. "He thinks there's something else going on here. He wants to know if his wife is possessed." Father Jansen prays over Marlena and then blesses her with holy water. Nothing happens to her (she doesn't melt or anything), so the possession theory is shot to hell. Later, Marlena awakens and tells her version of what happened on the terrace that night: John tried to get her to confess, pulled a gun on her, and then pushed her off the balcony. Marlena proclaims John is the killer. John is stunned. "He keeps saying, 'You confessed!' But Marlena denies it," previews Hogestyn, noting that at this point in the story John is still convinced that Marlena's guilty. "John thinks he has connected the dots. Alice was the proof he needed." Lexie then arrives with Celeste, who is anxious to reach out to Marlena. Celeste enters Marlena's hospital room, takes her hand and gasps, "Marlena is innocent." Suddenly, John has a revelation: Celeste is absolutely right and Marlena is innocent. It then dawns on John that the killer is Marlena's look-alike, Hattie. John heads out to track down the "real" culprit and on Friday, April 9, he returns to the hospital with Hattie (also played by Deidre Hall) in tow. Talk about double trouble! SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 4/13/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS Shocker Marlena As You've Never Seen Her... "It's License To Kill" The News - DAYS: Deidre Hall's Extreme Makeover With Help From A GENERAL HOSPITAL Star! Get ready for a tacky, wacky Deidre Hall, as DAYS OF OUR LIVES' refined leading lady pulls double duty this week when John presents the so-called Salem Stalker: Marlena's trashy double, Hattie. "It's the most fun I've ever had standing up," cracks Hall, still giddy with excitement. "It was painfully fun." Hall spoke to her sister, Andrea Hall-Gengler, who created and played Hattie from 2000-2001, beforehand. "What I said to her was that (the producers) asked me, in the interest of time, to play Hattie for two days. Andrea said, 'Okay. I'm curious to see it.' Obviously, it's her character, and I had mixed feelings about it. I had directed her through most of her shows when she was on and loved the character. I had been salivating for a long time." What did Hall hope to achieve? "I wanted people to think that maybe it was Andrea," she says, "that, 'Oh, my gosh! They do look a lot alike now.'" Hall did her homework. "I went to my friend Jane Elliot (Tracy, GENERAL HOSPITAL), who is a brilliant actress, and I gave her some Hattie tapes," relates Hall. "I said, 'I have to be her next week.' Jane said, 'Okay. I'd like you not to watch the tapes. Let me see them and then we'll get into it.' I booked her for an acting class, a directing class." After viewing the tapes, Elliot pronounced that it would be "an adjustment," albeit an easy one. "I won't tell you what it is, because that's an actor's private information," demurs Hall. "But there were several adjustments I made that made it very easy. Then I ran it with Jane." When she finally got on-set, "It was like, 'I get it. I remember.' It's license to kill. It's anything you want to do, anything you want to find. What happened was as everybody began to laugh around me, I became more obnoxious. 'Oh, that's funny? You like that? Well, watch this.' When I realized what I was doing was working, it was so freeing." John's motive for dragging Hattie to Salem is to clear Marlena of murder, so he has Bart explain Stefano's plan to have Hattie take over Marlena's life. Bo arrests Hattie, but she professes she's innocent and has proof. When the information checks out, Bo arrests Marlena and handcuffs her to her hospital bed. Alone with John, Marlena insists she doesn't know why she confessed to the murders and swears she is not the Salem Stalker. John vows to uncover the truth. "John has always been her salvation," maintains Hall. "I'm not sure Marlena believes anyone can (clear her), but if anyone can do it, it will be John." In fact, John comes up with a plan that might prove Marlena is innocent, but it's dangerous. Marlena is game (she's not stupid). "She says, 'I'll risk my life if I have to. I've got to know the truth,'" previews Hall. "If Marlena has some issues and has been a dangerous person to the people she loves, then she needs to deal with that." Ya think? SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 4/20/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Marlena Confesses Marlena admits she's a cold-blooded killer this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, when she takes truth serum and confesses to the Salem Stalker murders. John desperately tries to talk his wife out of taking the drug, reminding Marlena that he's refused to testify against her and that she will most likely go free if she declines. But Marlena sticks to her guns. "Marlena is convinced of the rightness of this," explains Deidre Hall (Marlena), whose character's greatest fear is that given the chance she will harm someone else she loves. "That is who Marlena has always been." John draws Marlena into a kiss and begs her to fight for their family. Marlena shocks him by insisting that if she confesses, she wants her statement entered into legal record. She will plead guilty and forgo a trial to spare her family and friends any more agony. A judge arrives, and Lexie injects Marlena with the truth serum. Marlena warns everyone that what she's about to reveal may affect them profoundly and she prays it's what they hope to hear. "I'm playing what is written for me in its entirety and its honesty," maintains Hall, who can't divulge Marlena's motive. Shawn, Bo, Hope, Belle, Lexie and John all look on as the questioning begins. Marlena coolly recalls attacking Bo and Hope at the fashion show, and then relives her murderous rampage - Abe, Jack, Maggie, Caroline and all the others, revealing herself as the heinous killer. A killer who now must face the consequences of her actions. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 5/4/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ The Moment Of Truth! DAYS' Marlena To John: "I Love You!" Who Do You Love? For DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Marlena, The Answer Is John: John and Marlena are no strangers to obstacles on the road to happily ever after, and this week is no exception. Hot on the heels of Doc Evans confessing all of the gruesome details of the murders, she reveals that she did it all because she loves ex-hubby Roman. Say what? "John's first reaction is, 'WOW, why'd you have to say that in front of a room full of people?'" laughs Drake Hogestyn (John). "That's a hell of a revelation. It is a shocking, unbelievably embarrassing moment. He feels very, very uncomfortable. The first sequence that goes through his head is, 'Oh, is that why Marlena said she had to go be with her husband when Roman was killed and she was gonna go to the funeral?' That word husband flashes really fast." But John is sure there's an explanation. "The more he listens to it, he's looking at her and realizing, 'Do I really know this person? Could any of this be real?' And then it's, 'No, I trust my judgment enough and my instincts enough to evaluate people. I've lived with her long enough and been through enough to know that something else is going on here,'" explains Hogestyn. When Marlena comes off the truth serum, John has the unenviable task of telling her what she revealed. "She says, 'I'll sign the (confession) papers after my husband tells me what I did and why,'" says Hogestyn. "So, that's when John asks if he can have a moment alone with his wife, and he tells her that she said she did it because she loved Roman. When he tells her, he tells her in a way that is a little unbelievable, but matter-of-fact. And to lob the ball in her court to see how she'll respond to that." How does she respond? "She's astonished; it makes no sense to her whatsoever," previews Deidre Hall (Marlena). "It's what we're all feeling in the audience: What do you mean, you love Roman? Marlena can't believe she said that. She is so utterly lucid in many moments of this storyline and then under the truth serum, she is completely baffling. So, we have no idea why she says this, what she's thinking, or what her reality was in the moment she was doing the killings. I think part of the entertainment and mystery for the audience is that in moments, she is completely convincingly in love with John and everyone in her world. In other moments, she is completely and convincingly a sociopath." What she is certain of, however, is that she loves John, her husband. "Marlena tells him, 'No, I loved Roman a long time ago. You're the only man in my life. You're the one I love.'" Then, it's up to John to figure out how to get his wife out of this mess. "His tack at this time is, 'We're gonna figure this out. There's something going on, something we don't know, but time is running out.' John will protect her to the end. He will die for her. He will prove that she is innocent. Okay, she did the murders, he admits that. But he believes there is an explanation and he just needs time to find it. Because she can't (commit murder). It's not her and he believes that." Hogestyn says that's not the only reason he is determined to clear her name. "There's another part that comes into play - a selfishness on John's side," offers the actor. "What's gonna happen to him if he loses her? He is realizing now that she has been his anchor. She's always believed in him, she's always pulled him back to the center when he started to go off a little bit and she saved him years ago. So, what happens if she is out of his life? That fear has him clinging to her even more right now." Can the Blacks make it through this? "I don't know," admits Hogestyn. "It doesn't look good right now but false hope is better than no hope. He has to be strong for her, but he's weakening by the day. And when she starts to break, he starts to break. He's trying to think of all the different options and there aren't that many that are being presented." But Hall maintains that the relationship is strong. "Nothing about her love for John has ever changed," she says. "She is outspoken about it and reassuring in every moment that that's who she is, that's how she feels and that's the man she wants." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 5/11/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS Shooting Rocks Salem... Late-Breaking News - DAYS: Marlena Dies! A tense standoff between Marlena and the cops yields a dire result this week: Salem's serial killer is shot and killed. As the week begins, John is with Belle when he gets a phone call from Hope saying that Marlena has escaped from jail. "He makes his way to the jail and hears Bo on the walkie-talkie say, 'Shoot on sight,'" previews Drake Hogestyn (John). A standoff between Bo and John ensues that ends with John heading to the roof to protect Marlena. "The door to the roof is locked, so John takes a fire ax and Bo tries to stop him," says the actor. "John says, 'The only way to stop me is to kill me.'" John gets the door open, but he doesn't get to Marlena in time. "They have a clear shot and get her in the heart," sighs Hogestyn. "John tries to keep it together while the medics get to work." But Marlena senses that it's the end. "She tells him to move on with his life," reveals Hogestyn. "They play out John and Marlena's greatest moments. He says things like, 'Our love has always brought us back time and time again and it will again.' But he knows that he's lost her." Marlena dies in John's arms. Rather than let the medics take her body, John carries her to the church. "In his mind, he's thinking, 'I did this during the possession and it worked.' But he just wants to spend as much time with her as he can. He is trying to find a way to let go himself and let what happened sink in. He didn't have time to prepare, like he did with Isabella. He knew that was coming; this is over now." What will John do now? Hogestyn theorizes, "He will immerse himself in work to take his mind off his dearly departed Doc, which he will never be able to do because he hears her voice, not only in his mind, but in his heart." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 5/18/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marlena Dies! And Not Even John Can Save Her... Marlena Dies: ...In John's arms, surrounded by people, on live television. So it certainly sounds like she is really, most sincerely dead this week on DAYS. "She is dead," affirms Marlena's longtime portrayer, Deidre Hall. It's the cops who finally shoot her, but Nicole is the one who orchestrates the violent dénouement to Marlena's murder spree. "Nicole has commandeered a fellow inmate of Marlena's to do her in," Hall sets up. "Crystal has convinced her there is a gas leak in the jail and they are all to be sent to the roof. When she gets up there, Crystal hits her with a gun, dazes her, throws her (down) and locks the door. Bo then tells the Salem Police Department, who are coming up with helicopters to cover the roof, that they should shoot to kill." Marlena wakes up dazed and confused with Crystal's gun in her hand - as bullets fly. "John is at the door," continues Hall. "She is begging for help and he is saying, 'I'm coming, I'm coming! I will save you!'" Bo stops John from running out onto the roof to rescue Marlena, but John retorts that Bo will have to shoot him to stop him. "John has a fight with Bo," continues Hall. "He manages to get himself on the roof and they see each other. The police have been shooting at Marlena for an endless period of time. Bo calls out, 'Don't shoot!' but they can't hear over the sound of the helicopters. Just as she is rushing to his arms, they shoot her." Struck, Marlena falls into John's arms. "It's one more of those great TV moments," praises Hall. "The cry you've been wanting to have all week is sitting there waiting for you." Hope calls for an ambulance as John and Marlena share their last moments. "She dies, but not before giving a monologue," smiles Hall. "There is a news crew at the jail, and because she knows she is dying, she asks to say goodbye to her children. If you haven't sobbed your brains out yet, you will then. John is holding her. She says her last goodbye to him and dies in his arms." Lexie pronounces Marlena dead. John is inconsolable, and vows to carry his love some place where she can never be hurt again. "He says, 'I don't want anybody touching her.' He takes her out of the jail and carries her to the church. Drake (Hogestyn, John) was brilliant. He just walked real slow. He wasn't rushing to get there. It was his last gift to her and it was exquisite. Drake is holding me, and talking and talking and talking, and weeping. His tears are hitting my face. Honey, it is high drama!" People start to gather. "Sami is emotional, as always," says Hall. "Belle is despondent." Bo and Hope call the mortician, who arrives to take Marlena's body. A broken John heads for the Brady Pub, where he recalls all the happy times he shared with his beloved Doc. Is this really the end? "We have some surprises coming," offers Hall. But at this point, Marlena is as dead as her victims. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 5/18/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' Crystal Moves In On Brady And John! Crystal gets out of jail and turns up at the Kiriakis mansion this week on DAYS, much to Nicole's dismay. "Crystal's attitude is, 'I'm here and you have no choice but to take care of me,'" previews her portrayer, Sarah Buxton. "Crystal has Nicole in a corner. If she reveals the information she has, Nicole will be in trouble. Crystal is in a place of power and she knows it." Nicole doesn't exactly welcome Crystal with open arms. "Nicole thought she got rid of Crystal by giving her money and sending her off to the bus station," explains Buxton. "But Crystal tells her, 'You owe me, and I'm here to collect.'" After all, reminds Crystal, she's the one who took care of Marlena. When Brady overhears them, he asks Crystal to elaborate but she quickly concocts a story. "Crystal doesn't want to get caught either," points out Buxton. "She can see that (Nicole's) is a beautiful life, and she'd like to start living it. So she makes up some story about being philanthropic, that she's doing charity work and collecting money in Marlena's honor." Brady buys it, but he'd better lock his bedroom door. "Crystal has an eye for every man right now," winks Buxton. "She's been in jail. So she's a little man hungry." In fact, she'll set her sights on John, too. "Crystal thinks he's sexy, and he's got money. That's attractive," asserts Buxton. So will Crystal be working her wiles on both hunks? "I think so," speculates Buxton. "She makes all these comments about them being father and son and how hot that would be. Crystal is very sexual. She uses sex as her manipulation." Though not on-contract yet, Buxton enthuses, "I go in when they call me. It's working out great." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 6/1/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DOOL Shocker: It All Starts To Make Sense... Dead Woman Walking: Marlena's "body" is exhumed this week on DAYS, but when her casket is opened, it's - whaddaya know? - empty. John, Bo, Sami and Lucas are stunned. "John is thinking two things," sets up Drake Hogestyn (John). "One, grave robbers. Two, body parts, and trying to sell them on the black market. John believes without a doubt that Marlena is dead. Now it's like, 'Oh, my God. There's some wacko out there who has the remains of the Salem Stalker and is getting their kicks out of that.'" Suspecting that Milbauer, the funeral director, may be involved in the twisted plot, John, Bo, Sami and Lucas confront him. "John says, 'Hey, pal. Guess where I've been? I've just dug up my wife's grave and guess what I've found? Nothing,'" previews Hogestyn. "John grabs Milbauer by the throat and tells him he's going to drain his blood unless he gets the answers he needs." Milbauer retreats to his office to check his records, and seconds later, a gunshot rings out. John, Bo, Sami and Lucas rush in to find the mortician has killed himself and set fire to his file room. "It's like, 'Hell, Bo. We are on the right track,'" continues Hogestyn. When Celeste and Lexie arrive on the scene, Sami hands Mr. Fuzzy the bear to Celeste. The psychic shocks everyone by announcing that Marlena was buried alive. Oh, and one other thing... "Celeste has got this freaky premonition that Stefano is not dead. She didn't tell anyone about it because she didn't want to believe it herself," explains Hogestyn. "She doesn't even finish her thought when John says, 'We should have known it all along. The man's a phoenix. If he's out there, he's got Doc.' Whether Stefano has got Marlena alive or (her dead body), John doesn't know. But he's taken the quantum leap to believe that Stefano is still out there." John and Bo question Celeste about their wives. While she doesn't get a sense of Hope being alive or dead, Celeste feels that Marlena is with the other "dead" of Salem. "First, Celeste said Marlena was buried alive, now she's telling John that she is with all the other dead," sighs Hogestyn. "It's conflicting information." Bo remains convinced that Hope is alive, but John won't let himself consider the possibility that Marlena could be, too. "He's not going to put himself in that area right now, just to get his hopes up and have to relive her death all over again." "What John wants to do now," adds Hogestyn, "is prove to everybody beyond a shadow of a doubt that Marlena was not responsible for all the crimes she committed, that there were extenuating circumstances. He will not rest until everyone in Salem knows that." That leaves the $64,000 question: Who is behind all this? SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 8/3/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Point Of No Return! John And Kate Grow Even Closer: John asks Kate to dinner this week and defends her to Nicole. What's going on with this widower and widow? "Beautiful people, great chemistry; it's The Odyssey," quips Corday. "They're grieving and they've had a hard time letting go of their spouses. At the same time, we know that Odysseus and Penelope, in the likeness of Roman and Marlena, are trying to get back to them." Lauren Koslow understands why Kate would be drawn to John. "He has been a really, really good friend to her over the years," she points out. "They're fairly close and certainly, he's a man that she has always respected enormously. Being who he is, how could you help but be attracted to him? I think in some ways, she sees a lot of Roman in John. They have a lot of similar qualities - of course, he was Roman at one time. It's all very complicated in that way." Plus, their lives are on a parallel course. "In the space of this time, they're both very vulnerable and they've both been through the exact same thing," Koslow says. "They work together, they really understand each other. It would be very hard to believe that they wouldn't be drawn to each other." But is it a love story in the making? "I don't think either of them see where it's going; they would never think it would be anything romantic," she asserts. "This is just two people who really need someone at this point in their lives." But, she hints, "There's a great possibility that it could turn into more. They're trying to make their way back to having some kind of a normal life. They've just been so empty and I think it's out of that longing that they're drawn to each other." And next week, that longing becomes more tangible, which fits right into the show's plan. "Before John and Kate really get to the point of no return, we want the audience to root for them to find out something is going on (on the island)," teases Corday. But will they? SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 8/10/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reunion Countdown Last week, John and Kate shared dinner at the Penthouse Grill. This week, they do a lot more. "It is huge," nods Lauren Koslow (Kate). "It's happening very quickly - that's a little bit of a surprise - but everyone's emotions are really heightened by everything they've been through." Throw in Sami's engagement to Lucas and Brady's closeness with Nicole, and it makes sense that John and Kate would need a little release. While on the roof of the Basic Black building, the two share a passionate kiss. "Everything is so emotional, life is so emotional," sighs Koslow. "It all kind of boils over into this great need. They need to be comforted." That's not all there is to it, concedes the actress. "Somewhere there has to be a little bit of attraction," she contends. "They both believe that their spouses are dead, so I think they're a little justified. They have to go on with their lives. She has this gorgeous, wonderful man and he's available. They're very open to something like this happening. As for the other couple, I don't know. They shouldn't be doing that!" That other couple, of course, is Roman and Marlena, who also find themselves at a buss stop this week on the island. "After Marlena has seen John and Kate dancing and appearing to be very close she sinks into a state of upset," previews Deidre Hall (Marlena). "She is talking to Roman and just starts to weep. He turns her and sweetly and gently kisses her." Uh oh. "They're both stunned and jump back," says Hall. "He says, 'I'm so sorry. I remembered that that was what it took to keep you from crying when we were married.' And Marlena says, 'WOW, I'm not crying - it worked.' But they've stepped into a place where they've crossed a tactile line." And it doesn't end there. While searching for Jack, Jennifer and Patrick in the jungle, Roman falls into a pit and impales his foot on a sharp stake. To distract him from the pain - and the severity of his injury - Marlena kisses him. "That's how she revives all of her patients. Just kidding!" quips Hall. The actress stresses that a kiss is just a kiss here. "It doesn't come out of any feeling of romance," she says. "It comes out of doing the best in the moment to diffuse the danger." But Roman and Marlena have grown awfully close on the island. According to Hall, that's only natural. "When there's a breakup of a marriage, most communication stops," she points out. "There's a moratorium on any conversation about what went wrong, and that certainly happened with Roman and Marlena. When Wayne Northrop played Roman, he just left. There was so much disappointment, disillusionment and heartbreak that the marriage was over. Now, with the part being played by Josh (Taylor), they are actually forced to spend time together and explore what happened." Is it anything more than just that? No, insists Hall. "She's always loved Roman," says the actress. "She's always felt close and trusting and spiritually connected to him, but it's not the passion she feels for John." So don't give up, John and Marlena fans. "I'm hoping we're able to give them a story of great interest and excitement and apprehension without scaring them away, because that is not our intention," Hall assures. "Our intention is to give them a great love story and a great reunion that they're on the edge of their chairs waiting for. That's what Jim does best." Ken Corday says: "We're taking them to the brink with these cliffhangers. The fans have to have hope. We're leaving the despair behind and getting into the 'hope' end of the story. That's what will happen at the end of August." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 8/17/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Answers To Your Most Burning Questions! DAYS: Together At Last! But It's Not What You Expect... Story Secrets Revealed! Answers To Your Most Asked Questions: The Number One question asked by soap fans these days is: Who's behind Captive Island on DAYS OF OUR LIVES? We'll all have to stay tuned on that one, but here are the answers to some of your other burning questions... When will John and Marlena reunite? Answer: This fall. "In the episode we taped today (August 4), John is heading to the island," reveals Drake Hogestyn (John). "And in September, I have a script where John actually sees Marlena again for the first time." A DAYS representative confirms that "in September the audience will start to get the payoff they've been waiting for. It may not be what they expect but they will certainly start to get answers." And then some. Once John starts considering the possibility that Doc could actually be alive, he and Bo will jet off to Captive Island. Once they arrive, "John and Bo are working like mad to get through this force field, the perimeter barrier," previews Hogestyn. "The next thing you know, they hear some rustling and four people come charging through the brush." One of them is Marlena. "There's no touch involved," teases Hogestyn. "Deidre (Hall, Marlena) and I will probably put our own twist on it. The way that it is right now, it appears not to be as climactic as I would like. But we'll work it up to speed with the collaboration of the director, the producer, and the actors to get more mileage out of that." To satisfy viewers who have been waiting for this moment for months? "Yes," states Hogestyn, adding that he and Hall have not discussed "how we want to play the scenes or where the emotional content will be. But we're always on the same page when it comes to that. They will be interesting to play. I haven't worked with Deidre for a while, so it will be new and fresh." As to what will happen next in the John and Marlena story, Hogestyn assures that the couple "will be reunited. They will get back together, but there have been some issues raised. John isn't privy to anything that's gone on on the island," reminds Hogestyn, referring to Marlena and Roman growing closer. "He only knows what has taken place back in Salem," where John and Kate have smooched. "Will John and Marlena's relationship be the same as it was before the Salem Stalker storyline? I don't know," admits the actor. "But knowing the history of the couple, they'll fight through thick and thin to get back together and make things right, absolutely." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 8/24/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAYS Shocker! The Kiss That Will Change DAYS Forever! Will John Or Marlena Betray Their Love? The End Of John And Marlena? Everyone's favorite couples have been torn apart on DAYS, and things go from bad to worse this month when Marlena is drawn to an old love while John seems to be considering a future with someone new! The Puppetmaster: "The person pulling the marionette strings is on a power trip," explains Executive Producer Ken Corday, continuing with what seems like something of an understatement. "They are a control freak and an evil person." This becomes more obvious than ever at the beginning of August, when the residents of Salem spend a special night at the Penthouse Grill, and the folks of New Salem are "allowed" to watch! While the island natives will no doubt be thrilled to catch a glimpse of the loved ones they unwillingly left behind, how will they feel about seeing proof positive that life does, indeed, go on? Corday knows that fans are having a hard time dealing with that fact. "It's tough for the audience to accept John and Kate as a couple," he acknowledges. "But the reality is that one is a widower and one is a widow. That's part of the attraction. They're grieving at the same time." Moving On: Seeing John and Kate's closeness at dinner leaves Roman and Marlena with only each other to lean on. "Roman and Marlena are turning to each other for comfort," previews Corday, adding, "It will probably go further than comforting. This isn't them thinking, 'Well, they're never coming here, and we're never getting off this island, so let's be together.' It's a much deeper and more emotional story." In a sense, being trapped on the island with Marlena is like a dream come true for Roman. "He's said to Marlena, 'I love Kate with all my heart, but you do know that you're the love of my life,'" says his portrayer, Josh Taylor. "He loves Kate tremendously. He just happens to be on the island with this woman who is the love of his life. It doesn't mean we can't have more than one love of our life. Roman would do anything for Marlena - even die for her." And although Marlena's heart will always belong to John, "She knows that there is no love like the one they have," says portrayer Deidre Hall - the pull of the past draws her closer to Roman, and the two former lovers wind up sharing a kiss! Mixed Doubles: As Lauren Koslow (Kate) points out, the situation between her alter ego and John is different because they are completely unaware that their spouses are alive and well. "In this situation, Kate and John are the innocent ones." But she understands that there's something more than grief bonding the pair. "You would think (John is) someone Kate would have been interested in anyway," says the actress. "But he was always attached to Marlena!" Viewers will be kept on the edge of their seats when DAYS is bumped off the air for two weeks to make room for NBC's coverage of the summer Olympics, but they won't want to miss a moment of the action when the soap returns on Monday, August 30. Because at the end of the month, dire circumstances bring Marlena and Roman closer than ever while, back in Salem, Kate convinces John that it's time to get on with their lives. And as Celeste begins to sense that a loved one is very much alive, John and Marlena share passionate kisses with other people! "John brings out Kate's better side," says Koslow, pondering an interesting question. "Would John bring her to the good side or would Kate bring him to a darker side?" With the situation getting messier by the day, it's clear that the ramifications will be felt for some time to come. Confirms Corday, "It's going to take some patience on the viewers' part for the better part of a year to see how everything is resolved." In the meantime, expect the months ahead to be filled with forbidden passions and emotional repercussions. As Koslow succinctly puts it, "You can't predict where this is going to go!" SOAP OPERA PREVIEWS, 9/6/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAYS Comes Roaring Back! Bo And John Learn They're All Alive... Pardon The Interruption: DAYS Comes Roaring Back From The Olympics With A Slew Of Can't-Miss Tales: When we last tuned into DAYS before it went off the air for the Olympic break, all hell was breaking loose: Roman and Marlena were kissing on the island, while John and Kate were doing the same in Salem. Belle and Philip were also getting too close for comfort. And Jennifer went into labor. "The strategy was to hang 'em on Friday the 13th, keep them on the edge of their seats until the 30th, and then go to the next step in these stories," explains Executive Producer Ken Corday. Here's a preview of what's coming up this week in Salem. It all starts with Bo figuring out that the signal he's been receiving on the police scanner is a code from his big brother. It says Roman and Marlena are alive. "He knew it sounded familiar, it just took him a minute," grins Peter Reckell (Bo). "Bo just couldn't let it go; he just kept coming back to it. Finally, he looks at a picture of Roman and it dawns on him. He has this flashback of when they were kids and Roman said, 'Okay, this is gonna be our secret code.' It was nice to finally have Bo, being the commander, figure something out and pull it together." After Bo cracks the code, he heads over to Basic Black, where he finds John and Kate in an extremely compromising position - making out on the desk. "Kate obviously is further along in her grieving than John is and needs help in the final chapter of closure," explains Drake Hogestyn (John) of the tryst. "Is she ever gonna be able to love again, feel anything again? Or is this just the way they're gonna live out their lives, in this hollow shell? She says, 'How do we go on? Help me. Help me.' And then Bo walks in and says, 'They're alive So what are you doing with my sister-in-law?' Timing is everything." At first, John is understandably skeptical of Bo's news. "Call me foolish, but Marlena was shot through the heart, her respiration stopped, she died in John's arms, he took her to Milbauer, who rammed a scalpel through her chest that John pulled out that was very steel, very real and very bloody. Then, he embalmed her," chuckles Hogestyn. "It's hard to believe." Bo convinces John to come to the station with him and hear the signal. "John and Kate make eye contact, like, 'What might have been, I don't know. How far would it have gone? Are we sorry for the interruption or are we grateful for the interruption?'" says the actor. "So a lot is left unsaid in that last beat before John exits with Bo." At the station, Tek sides with John. They can't be alive, the men reason. Bo suggests that they exhume the bodies of all the Salem Stalker victims. John resists that idea, too. "John knows Marlena's body is out there somewhere, and he's never gonna have closure until they find her," observes Hogestyn. "He asks Bo, 'You want to put everybody else through that?'" "Yes," says Bo. "He is the only one who thinks that anybody's alive, so he has to struggle to get everybody's permission to exhume the bodies," notes Reckell. "John and Bo butt heads about whether to go forward with this." In the meantime, Celeste tells Lexie that she has a vibration that Abe is alive. The women go to the cop shop, where Celeste reveals that actually, she has a vibration that everyone is alive. A horrified Lexie can't believe she mispronounced everyone dead. Tek pinpoints where the signal is coming from - the Caribbean. "The pieces fall into place," says Reckell. "That's where Jennifer's plane was headed, that's where Hope and Patrick's plane was headed, so obviously, that's where things are." John does some Internet searching and comes up with the island's name. "Melaswen," reveals Hogestyn. "John says, 'What the hell is that?' Of course it's New Salem backward. They look it up on the computer and there is an old pirate's map of it. John says, 'Let's take the jet.'" Although John was dallying with Kate, Hogestyn implores John and Marlena fans to stick with the story. "John Black will move a mountain to get to his beloved Marlena," he assures. "Not only does he love her, she's the only person that he has ever trusted with his life and has never been let down. To lose her would be losing the biggest part of himself." Meanwhile, in Melaswen, an ailing Roman takes a turn for the worse and has one last request of Marlena: Make love to me. "Even though the kiss they shared was very pleasant for both of them and certainly brought old feelings to the surface, if this injury hadn't happened, I doubt that they would have allowed themselves to go any further," concedes Josh Taylor (Roman). "She's very much in love with John, and Roman is very much in love with Kate, so even though there's an incredible, strong pull between the two, she thinks Roman is dying, so it gives more of an excuse." Taylor acknowledges that it's a pretty big step to take, considering that both Roman and Marlena are promised to others. "Is it justified on Roman's part to bring it up and to request it? No, no matter what the circumstances are. After all, Marlena is married to John, and Roman is married to Kate," he says. "But is it understandable under the situation, that death seems to be very close at hand? Certainly. Absolutely. All bets are off." Roman and Marlena's romp in the jungle is interrupted by the arrival of Hope and Abe. "Roman apologizes to Marlena. He says, 'It wasn't right for me to ask that,'" says Taylor. "But obviously, it's creating certain problems for the four people, which is gonna be interesting when we all get back together. He tells Marlena, 'If we do get off this island, we have to prepare ourselves that our lives could be very different.'" These twists and turns are just the beginning of explosive DAYS ahead, promises the exec (Ken Corday). "Remember, there are three parts of the story: despair, hope and salvation. Now we've reached salvation, so the fans should keep their hopes up. There's good story ahead." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 9/7/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Fall Preview You Won't Believe What's Coming! John And Bo Know: The third chapter of DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Salem Stalker storyline - the rescue of the Captive Island hostages - kicks into high gear when Bo and John race off to find their loved ones. That is, once they realize that Marlena and company are alive. "John never felt that Marlena was dead," maintains Drake Hogestyn (John). "He tried convincing himself. He said all the words, but there was always a part of him that wouldn't let go." Nevertheless, once Bo cracks the code he's been receiving from Roman and presents John with his "they're all alive" theory, "John is skeptical," previews Hogestyn. "Then Bo says, 'Let's do an exhumation of (all the stalker's victims).' They do, and when they pull the coffins out of the ground, they're all empty. John is like, 'Okay. Now what?'" Unable to deny the facts any longer, Bo and John jet off to the Caribbean. "Once they get airborne, John starts to look at things closer," continues Hogestyn. "He starts to believe that maybe this island does exist, that maybe Marlena is alive." And that maybe Stefano is behind it all. Bo and John start speculating, "what they're going to run into when they get to the island," outlines Hogestyn. "(They realize) they're going to have to take the law into their own hands when they get there." The highlight of the island scenes will be the moment John and Marlena finally reunite. "There isn't any mad rush to embrace," reveals Hogestyn, noting that there is a perimeter barrier separating the pair. But the force field isn't their only problem: There's also the fact that John almost succumbed to Kate atop a Basic Black desk, and that Marlena kissed Roman. "When John gets that information, how is he going to react to it?" poses Hogestyn. "There's also this issue: On her death bed, when Marlena was under the sodium pentothal, she said that she always loved Roman. (OOPS! This is wrong. Typo alert! She wasn't on her death bed; she was in the hospital from her fall from the balcony but she was under arrest and recovering.) Does that sit in the back of John's mind?" As for Kate, "that will be an issue," promises Hogestyn. "Was it madness born out of grief? Was John desperate for some sort of closure to speed up the healing process? Emotionally, John will have to sort through what that was all about." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 9/7/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' John And Marlena: Together At Last! John can't believe his eyes when he sees Marlena alive this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. "John was supposed to stand there with his mouth agape, but I decided to go, 'Oh, my God, Doc!' and make a lunge for her," relates Drake Hogestyn (John), whose character is promptly grabbed by Bo. "John was getting ready to jump into the force field, which Bo just did and it blew him twenty feet back. So here John is standing there with this impenetrable barrier between him and Marlena, and all he wants to do is feel her in his arms." When Tony disengages the force field, Bo rushes toward Roman and Abe, while John and Marlena finally share an emotional reunion. "It's a full-on bull charge right into her arms," continues Hogestyn. "John embraces Marlena like he will never let her go." Hogestyn adds that he, Deidre Hall (Marlena) and director Herb Stein worked hard "to get the most impact out of the reunion. We actually took an unscheduled five and discussed how we could get to this point - the first time that John can actually touch Marlena, and make a moment out of it." Meanwhile, Bo races off to find Hope. Before John can join him, Tony re-engages the force field, stranding John in New Salem. So John and Marlena return to the faux penthouse, where "John is trying to tear Marlena's clothes off as fast as he can," chuckles Hogestyn. OOPS - Roman shows up with Victor. "What the hell is up with that?" asks Hogestyn, noting that the men share information in an attempt to solve the mystery of who is holding them captive. Finally, Victor leaves, and Roman tells John that he has been staying at the penthouse with Marlena. John swallows his jealousy and thanks Roman for protecting Doc. But after Roman leaves, John learns he may have something to be jealous of when Marlena makes a startling confession. "They're in the shower, and John is feeling like this is heaven. All of a sudden Marlena blurts out that she almost made love to Roman - and John drops the soap." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 9/21/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES Forbidden Love! A Confession...And A Lie... Forbidden Love! John And Marlena Have A Marital Miss: True Confession: Marlena and John finally enjoy a romantic reunion this week, but it's marred by the ghosts of Roman and Kate. First, Roman reveals that he has been staying at the penthouse, which isn't terrific news for John. "The man side of John probably felt that Roman was taking advantage of the situation because Marlena was vulnerable," says Drake Hogestyn (John). "And because John was Roman at one time, he probably would have done the same thing (laughs)! But John didn't have to have a ton of bricks fall on him to realize there was kind of an awkward situation there. He just couldn't quite put a pulse on it." Once Roman leaves, the Blacks make love, then take a shower. While in there, Marlena has a vision of Roman and comes clean with her hubby about what happened while she was marooned with her ex. "They're in the shower and it's still deeply physical," previews Deidre Hall (Marlena). "She is kissing John, pulls back and is looking into Roman's eyes. She's stunned and clearly undone by it. She says, 'I've got to tell you something.' It's a sobbing, painful, deeply heartfelt confession, although nothing happened besides a kiss. But it's her own sense of guilt and needing to be honest and aboveboard with her husband that makes her tell him." "It's hard for John to hear," says Hogestyn. "He's a defeated shell of a man for a moment," explains the actor. "The elation of having Marlena back in his arms is replaced with doubts as to where he stands with her." After all, Marlena and Roman knew their spouses were alive. "The bottom line is that Kate and John were of the belief that Marlena and Roman were dead and buried," Hogestyn points out. "But when Marlena dropped that bombshell on him, the man in him says, 'How can you even do that? You knew that I wasn't dead. Did you believe that you were never gonna get off this island?' The only thing that keeps him sane and steady is the fact that there has been a tremendous manipulation of everybody. And who's to say that Marlena, in some way, shape or form, isn't being manipulated right now to have these feelings with Roman?" And what if Marlena did have feelings for Roman? "That would shake him to the core," shudders the actor. "It's easier for him to believe that there's another situation that's causing her to behave irrationally." Marlena is thrilled by his response to her confession. "He accepts it and says it was a dying wish and there's nothing to forgive," relates Hall. "Marlena throws herself into his arms, enormously relieved and grateful for his understanding." But will Marlena be so understanding when her husband isn't as forthcoming about his passionate moment with Kate? "Well, she asks John if there's anything she should know and he says no" hedges Hogestyn. "Does that constitute a white lie, like he was just protecting Marlena? We'll see." As with all other secrets in Salem, the truth is bound to come out. "They'll deal with that," Hogestyn believes. "It was two people getting through a tough time and they were just consoling each other. That was then, this is now." Hall agrees: "She could feel betrayed or she could say, 'Are you kidding? You thought I was dead.'" But the actress assures that Marlena isn't at all conflicted about who she loves. "Her heart is with John. That's what I've been playing," she shrugs. "Unless they have something else in mind down the road..." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 9/21/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John And Roman Team Up And Marlena Goes Missing Deidre Hall will be off DAYS for the next four weeks, due to "plot focus in other directions," according to a spokesperson for the show. When she returns on October 25, John and Marlena will continue their blissful reunion. But for how long? While Marlena has 'fessed up to John about almost succumbing to Roman, John has yet to tell Doc that he almost had sex with Kate on a desk at Basic Black. "I imagine that will come up at some point," muses Hogestyn. "When Marlena asked John, 'On the video that we saw at the Penthouse Grill, you and Kate seemed to be getting closer. Is there anything you want to tell me?' John said truthfully, 'No, there's nothing I want to tell you.' Because he didn't." Hogestyn defends John's decision. "In John's mind, at that point he's got the love of his life back in his arms and life is good. 'Let's just concentrate on getting the hell off this island.'" That's why John is willing to put his jealousy of Roman "aside and bury it," explains the actor. "It's a non-issue for John. He'll table any discussions until they all get back home. They'll revisit that if it needs to be revisited." In the interim, John, Roman and everyone else in New Salem "need each other if they're going to figure out how to get off wherever the hell they are." To that end, John and Roman team up this week and head into the jungle to search for Bo and Hope, unaware of the danger that awaits them. They are shot at, but manage to escape unharmed by diving into a deep ravine where Roman finds a pendant Kate bought for Billie. Hmmm - she must be on the island, too. John and Roman are then more certain than ever that Stefano is behind this nightmare. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 10/5/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who Will Live, Who Will Die? There's more than meets the eye when only a handful of characters return to Salem this week on DAYS. "Those in Salem will believe that many have perished. We the audience will find out that is not true," teases Executive Producer Ken Corday. "Eventually, the characters who survive are going to have to start accepting the fact that their loved ones aren't coming home - yet again." Won't they think the whole thing is just another twisted DiMera plot? "No, that's not going to be on their minds," insists Corday. "The cataclysm of leaving the island doesn't leave much of a shadow of a doubt as to the others' likelihood of being alive." The tragic outcome will change each of the survivors "greatly," assures Corday. "But remember, there is always hope. We know what the audience wants. It's (a matter of) being very careful giving them what they want not all at one time." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 11/9/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Great Escape At long last, the refugees on Captive Island make their escape, but not without a last-ditch effort from Tony to keep them there - and a heartbreaking conclusion. The week begins with the prisoners preparing to get on their makeshift rafts and out of Melaswen before the volcano erupts. A gun-toting Tony arrives at the shore with Bart and reveals that he has developed the capability to control the world's energy, weather and power. "This is Tony's last act," says Drake Hogestyn (John). "He has a briefcase in his hand, saying, 'I can trigger this volcano to erupt. I can control portions of the world's energy.' That's some pretty heavy stuff." A quick-thinking Bo and Hope grab Tony's briefcase and destroy his computer programs inside. (OOPS! This is wrong. Tony had rigged the briefcase to blow up if anybody besides himself opened it. So nobody opened it. Tony was about to shoot Patrick when Maggie showed up and wanted to know what was going on, so John, Roman, Bo, Hope and Patrick used the distraction to try to overpower Tony and grab his briefcase. Tony held a gun on Bo, but Hope grabbed the briefcase and held it over the lava. Bo told her to go ahead and throw it in the lava, so Hope did this, which foiled Tony's plans.) With nothing left to lose, Tony threatens to activate the volcano. "He says, 'When I push this button, the volcano that's spewing lava underneath us is gonna blow sky-high and we're all gonna die,'" previews Hogestyn. "So, John jumps Tony and grabs the detonator. They both fall off the pier and down a rabbit hole." The duo awakens in Tony's Zen lair where they engage in a sword fight. "Tony reaches over with a knife and stabs John right in the chest," says Hogestyn. John retaliates, but Tony hits the switch and the volcano erupts. John escapes, but with a serious back injury. He returns to the pier and boards the raft with Marlena and Roman. Once at sea, John reveals that he can't feel his legs. "It doesn't look good," sighs Hogestyn. But things go from bad to worse when a tidal wave hits the rafts. By week's end, the Coast Guard rescues a host of survivors, but Marlena, Roman, Cassie, Caroline, Victor and Jack are all missing and presumed dead. Again. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/9/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS Comes Home! Mourning Marlena... The Homecoming: The Captive Island survivors return to Salem this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Some share happy reunions with their families and significant others: others mourn the ones they've lost and try to move on. Abe, Doug, and Maggie are especially anxious to get home to their spouses. Brady grieves for Victor. Jennifer and John cope with losing Jack and Marlena. Bo laments all the family members he's lost. "John is out of sorts, not in a good mental state," offers Drake Hogestyn (John), noting that without Marlena his character's homecoming "is bittersweet." "Jennifer's state is very bad," adds Executive Producer Ken Corday. "She gives up hope. We, the viewers, will know that she shouldn't be giving up hope." Indeed, viewers will see that Roman and Marlena have been rescued and are on a ship, where Bart is holding them at gunpoint. Tony is alive, too. Meanwhile, Caroline, Victor, Cassie and Jack are in separate locked cabins on the same boat. After searching for the others to no avail, Bo and Hope return home to their sons. "It's just elation," shares Kristian Alfonso (Hope). "First, Hope sees Shawn and she is hugging him and holding him. Then, Zack sees (Bo and Hope) and goes, 'Mommy! Daddy!' and starts running towards them. It's a sweet moment." Since Belle is there, Hope wrongly assumes that she and Shawn have worked things out. That is, until Jan walks out of the kitchen and Shawn announces they are engaged. "Hope knows that something is up," says Alfonso. "There is a lot of questioning. She's right on Shawn within two minutes. The first thing is 'What are you doing with her?' And telling Jan, 'Be quiet. I want to hear from my son.'" Meanwhile, Patrick escorts Jennifer and her baby home, where they reunite with Abby. "Jennifer has to deal with Abby and tell her about Jack, which is very difficult," says Corday. Abe shares an emotional moment with Lexie, Brandon and Theo. He's taken to the hospital to have his eyes checked after he has trouble focusing. Kate and Belle arrive at the hospital, too, where they visit John and he explains the dismal fate of their missing loved ones. "It's like, 'Folks, yes, they were all alive! Yes, Marlena was exonerated. She was not the Salem Stalker,'" says Hogestyn. "John explains that he came thisclose to bringing home Kate's husband...that he came thisclose to bringing home Belle's mother. But it was only thisclose - and he failed." Or so he thinks... SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 11/16/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAYS' John: How He Failed... DAYS' John: "He's Spiraling" John relies on visions of Marlena to get him through his most difficult hours this week on DAYS. "He blames himself (for her death)," explains Drake Hogestyn (John). "He's spiraling. He has really fallen into an abyss and subconsciously believes that this may be the end of the road. The last life preserver that he clings to is Marlena. He conjures her up in his subconscious to be the savior, and it seems to be working. But then as he has her there, he also conjures up the Grim Reaper, who takes her away from him and it's all because of John's failure to protect her." Failure is not something Salem's Number One hero is accustomed to. "They're back to square one again, back to the shooting on the rooftop," he notes. "She's gone, so basically John's whole escapade on the island was pretty much a failure, except for bringing back a handful of people. He failed the kids, failed himself, failed Marlena, so that's where he is right now." Will he turn to Kate? After all, he got Marlena's permission on the raft. "I think John was in a lot of pain when he was on the raft, and he was about to say anything that she wanted to hear at that point," theorizes Hogestyn. "But Kate has been a good friend to him." Things are about to get a lot worse, thanks to the mystery person drugging Black. "John has some very dark days ahead," previews Hogestyn. "Very dark." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/30/04 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES Crisis For John! Cover Story: Dark Days Ahead - John Faces His Most Challenging Crisis Yet: I Want A New Drug: Crisis For John John comes close to rock bottom this week as the pain from his injury intensifies - and so does the drug dose he receives from the mystery man. "Yeah, he lives in John's closet," cracks Drake Hogestyn (John). "The hospital must think John's doing pretty good 'cause he's not that hungry, but his food's always disappearing. Guy just comes out and eats and goes back in." All kidding aside, the mystery man - who we find out is linked to Tony - continues to inject John's IV with a drug to counteract the pain medication. John can't bear it, but Lexie is left with no recourse. "Lexie says, 'You know, John, we can't give you anything else. You're just gonna have to suck this up because you're having such an adverse reaction to all the medication and we've changed it so many times,'" explains the actor. "John just grabs her and says, 'You have to do something now.' And she says, 'John, get a hold of yourself. You're a tough guy. We're doing the best we can,' and walks out." But not before John has swiped her keys to the medicine cabinet. He unhooks his IV, struggles into a wheelchair and makes his way to the drug supply room to steal some meds. "John knows his machine better than anybody," points out Hogestyn. "He has no control over his machine, especially the mobility part. Now drawing from his days as a mercenary/field medic, he's versed in the proper application of narcotics and opiates, so he feels he would be in a better position to be able to medicate himself at this point. If the doctors can't figure it out, John Black can." But being laid up in the hospital is taking an emotional toll on the vulnerable spy. "It's mentally frustrating," he sighs. "He's on a mission to walk his daughter down the aisle and he needs to be mobile for that. It's hard to have Belle there, and have people in his life see him as being weak and vulnerable. Whatever cocktail the mystery man living in his closet is giving him will become the driving force in his life and that means everything else takes a backseat and that's not a good thing. Dependent is not a trait that John Black likes to display." Dependent he is, though, which will mean he needs a roommate. Guess who? Yup, Kate. "Kate has a conversation with Lexie, and Lexie says, 'I don't know what we're doing. We're changing all his medication and he's just getting worse and worse,'" shares Hogestyn. Lexie suggests moving him out of the hospital, so Kate offers to move in with her boss. "She says, 'If it were me, I know that he would help, so I can do that,'" says the actor. "So, she's going to be there at the penthouse." But John's feelings for Kate are friendly, not romantic. "What these two people shared in terms of losing a spouse, no one else could really understand, and it was really comforting to be able to have someone to be able to bounce feelings off of during that time," he explains. "Now, with that said, discovering that Roman and Marlena were very much alive and now 'dead' again, Kate and John are back to that square one again. But with the emotional state that John is in right now, especially with this pain and the introduction of a controlled substance, which obviously is altering him mentally, he's grateful that she's there to take care of him." Is he considering the possibility that the DiMeras are responsible for his condition? "No. He's not even thinking about that," says Hogestyn. "I think if he had a clear head, he wouldn't be in the hospital, he'd still be out there searching for Marlena or some sign that they aren't really gone. But that's not where his head is right now." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 12/21/04